Compared with the West, and recently the Middle East, which has been swept by civil uprisings, Japan is not commonly known for having large-scale demonstrations or violent antigovernment protests. But since March 11, when the Great East Japan Earthquake devastated the Tohoku region and ...

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Philippines President Benigno Aquino III agreed Tuesday in Tokyo to forge closer maritime security ties to resolve disputes with China in the South China Sea. China and the Philippines have experienced heightened tensions over the Spratly Islands, which are ...

The Foreign Ministry is planning to invite prominent users of social networking sites to tour the devastated northeast as part of its efforts to rebuild Japan’s image overseas following the March disasters and nuclear crisis. Around 15 foreign bloggers and users of SNS sites ...

A group of Japanese will swim from Okinawa Prefecture to Taiwan in a gesture of gratitude for the island’s support in the wake of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, organizers of the event said Tuesday. The “Japan to Taiwan Ocean Swim Challenge ...

While Japan’s alliance with the United States benefits the stability of the Asia-Pacific region, close ties with China will also be needed if Japan wants to reap the benefits of its neighbor’s booming economy, new Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba said Monday. During a group ...

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s choice of ministers for foreign diplomacy and security reflects an emphasis on fence-mending in his party rather than plans to address imminent diplomatic challenges, analysts said Friday. The appointment of Koichiro Genba as foreign minister and Yasuo Ichikawa as defense ...

While Japan-U.S. relations will remain the cornerstone of the nation’s diplomacy under the leadership of Yoshihiko Noda, the Democratic Party of Japan’s newly elected president and the nation’s next prime minister, his past comments on war criminals could strain ties in Asia, analysts said ...

The race for the Democratic Party of Japan presidency drew heated debate on the final day of campaigning Sunday as the five candidates took their best shots at convincing their peers why they should be the next prime minister. The five — former Foreign ...

The Foreign Ministry on Friday released previously classified records dating from 1953, including a section stating that Japan didn’t intend to exercise its primary right of jurisdiction over U.S. military personnel involved in crimes unless cases were deemed of “material importance.” While the existence ...